1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering apparatus that can provide good operation feeling in telescopic adjustment and can have a very simple configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are steering apparatuses provided with a telescopic adjustment mechanism. A typical structure of the steering apparatus of this kind is constituted by a fixed bracket mounted on a vehicle and a movable bracket provided with the steering column, and the movable bracket is mounted on the fixed bracket so that the movable bracket can move in the front-rear direction and can be fixed. The fixed bracket is typically configured to clamp the movable bracket. The sliding movement of the movable bracket in the front-rear direction is realized by a long hole for telescopic operation that is present in either of the movable bracket and fixed bracket, a bolt inserted into the long hole for telescopic operation, a tightening member such as a nut, a slide member that inserts the bolt into the long hole, and a guide member that causes smooth sliding of the slide member. In this configuration, the slide member and guide member play a role of eliminating a handle play when the bolt of a tightening shaft is guided along the shape of the long hole for telescopic operation.
In particular, it is important to improve the operation feeling in tilt telescopic adjustment and many efforts have been made to inhibit the handle play during operation. Examples of conventional techniques of this type in which a sliding portion of a telescopic column is provided with resin slide member and guide member are disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3754075 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-344112.
Japanese Patent No. 3754075 describes a structure constituted by a long orifice for tilting into which a tightening bolt for tilting and telescopic operation is inserted, a rubber sleeve 11 for fitting the bolt into other long orifices, a resin liner 1 that causes the rubber sleeve 11 to slide, and an insert 10 that imparts elasticity to both end portions of the long orifice of the liner 1. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-344112 describes a structure provided with a slide frame 10 that causes a slide piece 9 protruding from a steering column to slide with respect to a tilt swinging member 7 that is swingably and pivotally supported by a bracket fixed to the vehicle, wherein the slide piece 9 serves as a resin slider 17 and resin guides 16a, 16b are provided at the slide frame 10.